Technology

• Intel's rumored high-end Battlemage GPUs have been canceled according to a reliable leaker
• Its 'BMG-G31' die was rumored to have a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores
• We could still see high-end offerings with the upcoming Celestial Arc lineup

While Intel's Battlemage Arc B580 and B570 GPUs have provided great and affordable mid-range options for PC gamers, Team Blue is yet to make a high-end GPU to compete with Nvidia (since AMD is also focusing primarily on the mid-range space going forward). Unfortunately, it now looks like the wait will continue.

According to a reputable leaker, Jaykihn0 on X, Intel's supposed high-end Battlemage GPU plans were cut short in Q3 of 2024: in other words, Xe2-based GPUs reportedly featuring up to 24GB of VRAM have been canceled. The 'BMG-G31' die supposedly had a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores and at least 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Any hopes of a strong high-end alternative to Nvidia's RTX GPUs are seemingly slimmer than ever, as both AMD and Intel continue to target affordable options for consumers.

While Jaykihn0 suggests there are currently no updates on the upcoming Celestial discrete GPU lineup, it's certainly not over for Intel potentially delving into the high-end market. Celestial GPUs are rumored to use Xe3P architecture, which could involve some high-end GPUs and improved features like XeSS Frame Generation - however, it's not yet clear when they will be ready for consumers.

In the meantime, Intel's Xe3 architecture will be used for the upcoming Panther Lake processors, likely including mobile processors for ultrabooks and handhelds. There's plenty to look forward to on Team Blue's end, especially after the success of its current Battlemage GPUs, and processors like the Core Ultra 7 258V.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) We seriously need any high-end competition we can get from Intel

If it wasn't clear enough already, the GPU market is in dire need of a helping hand: scalping, price inflation, and low availability are at an all-time high, and the only way I can see this changing is if consumers don't acquiesce to purchasing overpriced GPUs. However, most importantly, we need more high-end GPUs that aren't from Nvidia.

Team Green's Blackwell GPU lineup is the only product range that includes true high-end options this generation, and it's not a surprise that there's hardly any stock for Founders Edition cards, considering their popularity and demand.

While AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 9070 XT comes at an incredible $599/£569, there are no reference cards, which means consumers must rely on AIB partner cards sold by retailers - which are currently charging over $200 more than MSRP. Don't believe me? Just have a look at Best Buy.

With this in mind, Intel is potentially the only one in the market that could offer high-end alternatives in the near future: I'll admit it's hard to suggest any of these GPUs would beat Nvidia's RTX 5090, but PC gamers need all the industry competition we can get.

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Two new free line offers coincide with a recent cost increase.

• The latest Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer appeared at yesterday's Nintendo Direct
• The trailer introduces psychic abilities for Samus as well as a new suit upgrade
• The game is still on track for a '2025' release window

We got a fresh trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond at the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, and I think it's shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to the original Prime trilogy.

In the latest trailer, protagonist Samus Aran lands on a strange planet called Viewros, inhabited by hostile alien creatures as well as a race that seems versed in psychic powers. Said powers are also bestowed unto Samus, allowing her to interact with the environment and combat enemies in various new ways.

We see Samus use her new psychic abilities to transport orbs into mechanisms to power devices and open doors. But more importantly (and awesomely), she can use these powers to slow time and manually guide her beam shots through enemies. Does it look overpowered? Sure, but perhaps not on the level Hypermode was in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

These psychic abilities seem like they'll be the primary gimmick in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, following Prime 3's Phazon power and Prime 2's light and dark mechanics. We only really got a brief glimpse of them in the trailer, so I'm hoping they'll be useful for more than just opening doors and entering a bullet-time-esque state.

Enjoying the Viewros

One thing that's clear, though, is that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond appears to be pushing the Switch hardware to its limits. Environments are looking gorgeous with impressive detail and glorious skyboxes. It does look to be holding a pretty steady 60fps too, which has been a crucial performance factor in all Prime games to date.

I have to give a shoutout to the soundtrack, too, which is definitely capturing that feeling of isolation the Prime games have always been excellent at. Combat music is also wild and chaotic, creating an intentionally jarring sensation when you're pulled out of smelling the roses and into hectic battle.

Lastly, the trailer ends with a glimpse at one of Samus's new suit upgrades. Her Varia suit takes on a sleek red and black aesthetic with purple accents. It's a very striking look, but it's unclear what abilities this suit will enable for her. Presumably, it'll help bolster her new psychic powers or provide ways to better traverse through dangerous environments.

Still no solid release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as of yet, though. But the trailer confirms the game is still on track for a 2025 release. Hopefully, it'll end up being a launch title for Nintendo Switch 2 as many are speculating.

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• The latest Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailer appeared at yesterday's Nintendo Direct
• The trailer introduces psychic abilities for Samus as well as a new suit upgrade
• The game is still on track for a '2025' release window

We got a fresh trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond at the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, and I think it's shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to the original Prime trilogy.

In the latest trailer, protagonist Samus Aran lands on a strange planet called Viewros, inhabited by hostile alien creatures as well as a race that seems versed in psychic powers. Said powers are also bestowed unto Samus, allowing her to interact with the environment and combat enemies in various new ways.

We see Samus use her new psychic abilities to transport orbs into mechanisms to power devices and open doors. But more importantly (and awesomely), she can use these powers to slow time and manually guide her beam shots through enemies. Does it look overpowered? Sure, but perhaps not on the level Hypermode was in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

These psychic abilities seem like they'll be the primary gimmick in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, following Prime 3's Phazon power and Prime 2's light and dark mechanics. We only really got a brief glimpse of them in the trailer, so I'm hoping they'll be useful for more than just opening doors and entering a bullet-time-esque state.

Enjoying the Viewros

One thing that's clear, though, is that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond appears to be pushing the Switch hardware to its limits. Environments are looking gorgeous with impressive detail and glorious skyboxes. It does look to be holding a pretty steady 60fps too, which has been a crucial performance factor in all Prime games to date.

I have to give a shoutout to the soundtrack, too, which is definitely capturing that feeling of isolation the Prime games have always been excellent at. Combat music is also wild and chaotic, creating an intentionally jarring sensation when you're pulled out of smelling the roses and into hectic battle.

Lastly, the trailer ends with a glimpse at one of Samus's new suit upgrades. Her Varia suit takes on a sleek red and black aesthetic with purple accents. It's a very striking look, but it's unclear what abilities this suit will enable for her. Presumably, it'll help bolster her new psychic powers or provide ways to better traverse through dangerous environments.

Still no solid release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as of yet, though. But the trailer confirms the game is still on track for a 2025 release. Hopefully, it'll end up being a launch title for Nintendo Switch 2 as many are speculating.

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• Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a sequel to my favorite 3DS game, and I think it's already packing the charm that inZOI lacks
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• Nintendo reveals the new Virtual Game Card feature, an easier way to manage your digital Switch games

• Dolby Atmos is coming to Bose and Burmester premium Porsche systems
• Also onboard: Alexa support and a new App Center
• New hardware delivers improved responsiveness

Porsche's in-car entertainment is going to get even better in this year's models, thanks to a significant upgrade that brings Dolby Atmos to the 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne model series.

That's not the only new feature either. There's also Amazon Alexa plus an expanded Porsche Connect package, and the system itself should be even smoother in everyday operation.

Porsche is also introducing a new App Center, which we first saw in the all-electric Macan.

2025-year Porsche 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne models will get the App Center that made its debut in the Macan EV. (Image credit: Porsche) What's new in 2025 model Porsches

Porsche calls its infotainment system Porsche Communication Management, or PCM for short (yes, a little confusing for those of us into hi-res audio and Pulse-Code Modulation, but we press on). The new model year brings upgraded hardware, and it comes with ten years of Porsche Connect "to ensure a reliable digital user experience."

One of the big changes is the App Center, which works in much the same way as the familiar phone and tablet app stores. Depending on the market (not all app makers offer their products globally), you'll be able to add apps for streaming music and podcasts, apps for weather forecasts and news, and even gaming and karaoke apps. Porsche says that there will also be smart home apps enabling you to control your home when you're on the road.

Another big upgrade is the addition of Alexa to the existing Porsche Voice Pilot. You'll be able to activate it with the Alexa trigger word, with a button or with one of the PCM icons. Alexa will be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Canada.

And then there's Dolby Atmos. For the first time, cars with the premium and high-end audio systems from Bose and Burmester will have Dolby Atmos, and will be compatible with Atmos-capable apps from the App Center. Being dropped right into the middle of an album as I drive a Porsche? Yes please.

The upgraded PCM will be in vehicles distributed from June 2025, and those vehicles can be ordered now.

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• Dolby Atmos is coming to Bose and Burmester premium Porsche systems
• Also onboard: Alexa support and a new App Center
• New hardware delivers improved responsiveness

Porsche's in-car entertainment is going to get even better in this year's models, thanks to a significant upgrade that brings Dolby Atmos to the 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne model series.

That's not the only new feature either. There's also Amazon Alexa plus an expanded Porsche Connect package, and the system itself should be even smoother in everyday operation.

Porsche is also introducing a new App Center, which we first saw in the all-electric Macan.

2025-year Porsche 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne models will get the App Center that made its debut in the Macan EV. (Image credit: Porsche) What's new in 2025 model Porsches

Porsche calls its infotainment system Porsche Communication Management, or PCM for short (yes, a little confusing for those of us into hi-res audio and Pulse-Code Modulation, but we press on). The new model year brings upgraded hardware, and it comes with ten years of Porsche Connect "to ensure a reliable digital user experience."

One of the big changes is the App Center, which works in much the same way as the familiar phone and tablet app stores. Depending on the market (not all app makers offer their products globally), you'll be able to add apps for streaming music and podcasts, apps for weather forecasts and news, and even gaming and karaoke apps. Porsche says that there will also be smart home apps enabling you to control your home when you're on the road.

Another big upgrade is the addition of Alexa to the existing Porsche Voice Pilot. You'll be able to activate it with the Alexa trigger word, with a button or with one of the PCM icons. Alexa will be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Canada.

And then there's Dolby Atmos. For the first time, cars with the premium and high-end audio systems from Bose and Burmester will have Dolby Atmos, and will be compatible with Atmos-capable apps from the App Center. Being dropped right into the middle of an album as I drive a Porsche? Yes please.

The upgraded PCM will be in vehicles distributed from June 2025, and those vehicles can be ordered now.

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• We've got more details on the One UI 7 rollout
• The Galaxy S23 update should appear around April 17
• Dates may vary depending on your location

Up until now it's been a bit of a guessing game as to when One UI 7 (Samsung's version of Android 15) would make its way to Galaxy devices beyond the Samsung Galaxy S25 series – but Samsung has now given us some clarity on the matter.

The last we heard, One UI 7 was scheduled to start rolling out on Monday, April 7 – with the Samsung Galaxy S24 phones, plus the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6, all first in line (those were the flagship phones Samsung launched in 2024).

Now, courtesy of Samsung Czechia (via SamMobile), it seems we can expect the software update to appear on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, the Samsung Galaxy S23 phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 from Thursday, April 17.

The press release (put through Google Translate) also says that the Galaxy S23 FE and the Galaxy S22 series will get One UI 7 in the "coming weeks", while the Galaxy Tab S10 series rollout is due in "mid-April", with Galaxy Tab S9 updates appearing a week later. Galaxy Tab S8 devices should start seeing the software at the end of April.

A long time coming

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is next in line for One UI 7 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

There are a few caveats to bear in mind here: the update in the Czech Republic doesn't actually start until Thursday, April 10, so other rollout dates across the globe might vary. What's more, as far as we can tell, Samsung's press releases from its other international news rooms aren't as specific when it comes to dates.

Still, it gives us a more specific idea of when these software updates are going to start appearing – and it would be unusual for Samsung to push out the upgrades for these older devices in the Czech Republic and nowhere else.

It's been quite a journey to get to this point, with plenty of delays and beta releases along the way, and it's a reminder that if you want Android updates before anyone else, you need one of the best Pixel phones – the Pixel 9 phones got Android 15 in October 2024.

Among the new features in One UI 7 are the Now Bar, for bringing important real-time updates to the lock screen, and the Now Brief, an AI-powered summary of your day – though Samsung hasn't confirmed if all the One UI 7 features will make it to all devices.

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• We've got more details on the One UI 7 rollout
• The Galaxy S23 update should appear around April 17
• Dates may vary depending on your location

Up until now it's been a bit of a guessing game as to when One UI 7 (Samsung's version of Android 15) would make its way to Galaxy devices beyond the Samsung Galaxy S25 series – but Samsung has now given us some clarity on the matter.

The last we heard, One UI 7 was scheduled to start rolling out on Monday, April 7 – with the Samsung Galaxy S24 phones, plus the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6, all first in line (those were the flagship phones Samsung launched in 2024).

Now, courtesy of Samsung Czechia (via SamMobile), it seems we can expect the software update to appear on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, the Samsung Galaxy S23 phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 from Thursday, April 17.

The press release (put through Google Translate) also says that the Galaxy S23 FE and the Galaxy S22 series will get One UI 7 in the "coming weeks", while the Galaxy Tab S10 series rollout is due in "mid-April", with Galaxy Tab S9 updates appearing a week later. Galaxy Tab S8 devices should start seeing the software at the end of April.

A long time coming

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is next in line for One UI 7 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

There are a few caveats to bear in mind here: the update in the Czech Republic doesn't actually start until Thursday, April 10, so other rollout dates across the globe might vary. What's more, as far as we can tell, Samsung's press releases from its other international news rooms aren't as specific when it comes to dates.

Still, it gives us a more specific idea of when these software updates are going to start appearing – and it would be unusual for Samsung to push out the upgrades for these older devices in the Czech Republic and nowhere else.

It's been quite a journey to get to this point, with plenty of delays and beta releases along the way, and it's a reminder that if you want Android updates before anyone else, you need one of the best Pixel phones – the Pixel 9 phones got Android 15 in October 2024.

Among the new features in One UI 7 are the Now Bar, for bringing important real-time updates to the lock screen, and the Now Brief, an AI-powered summary of your day – though Samsung hasn't confirmed if all the One UI 7 features will make it to all devices.

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• Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S25
• Samsung's budget handsets have been getting One UI 7 too

• Music can now be organized and discovered by record label
• Browse the winners of prestigious awards and critics' picks
• Hi-Res Audio where available, in both Labels and Awards

One of the things I really hate about music streaming is the algorithm, which tends to play me things that sound really quite a lot like the things I've played. That's fine for background music, but it's not great for finding really amazing new artists and their albums. So I'm really intrigued by Qobuz's new features, which focus on specific record labels and award winners.

Some labels are legendary: think Stax or Blue Note, Motown or Deutsche Grammophon, Def Jam or Warp. And now Qobuz enables you to find more music from the label of the artist you're currently listening to, as well as the labels of your favourites.

The results will depend very much on the label, of course. but there are real gems in those catalogs.

Let's say you're listening to Aphex Twin (good choice, by the way). Qobuz now makes it easy to find more Warp Records artists: Squarepusher and Broadcast, Thom Yorke with Mark Pritchard, Boards of Canada and 48 more pages of electronic awesomeness.

Prefer something a bit more soulful? Stax has Melissa Etheridge, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Albert King... you get the idea.

Award-winning music discovery

(Image credit: Qobuz)

The second new feature, Award pages, is really interesting too. Qobuz has put together a list of various awards and their winners, and the awards featured include some very prestigious ones as well as Qobuz's own favorites.

For example, you can browse Gramophone Award winners to discover some truly exceptional classical recordings, or you can focus on the winners of Pitchfork's best new music awards: Beyoncé, Kendrick, Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, Bad Bunny, Vampire Weekend, Father John Misty.... there are 22 pages for this award alone.

I love this: it's a big bunch of musical rabbit holes to lose yourself in, and I think it's a really good fit for Qobuz's target audience. It's long marked itself as the streaming service for serious music fans and audiophiles, and browsing these collections is almost as much fun as going crate-digging for new LPs – oh, and while I'm on this, don't forget that Record Store Day is coming, on April 12.

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• Music can now be organized and discovered by record label
• Browse the winners of prestigious awards and critics' picks
• Hi-Res Audio where available, in both Labels and Awards

One of the things I really hate about music streaming is the algorithm, which tends to play me things that sound really quite a lot like the things I've played. That's fine for background music, but it's not great for finding really amazing new artists and their albums. So I'm really intrigued by Qobuz's new features, which focus on specific record labels and award winners.

Some labels are legendary: think Stax or Blue Note, Motown or Deutsche Grammophon, Def Jam or Warp. And now Qobuz enables you to find more music from the label of the artist you're currently listening to, as well as the labels of your favourites.

The results will depend very much on the label, of course. but there are real gems in those catalogs.

Let's say you're listening to Aphex Twin (good choice, by the way). Qobuz now makes it easy to find more Warp Records artists: Squarepusher and Broadcast, Thom Yorke with Mark Pritchard, Boards of Canada and 48 more pages of electronic awesomeness.

Prefer something a bit more soulful? Stax has Melissa Etheridge, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Albert King... you get the idea.

Award-winning music discovery

(Image credit: Qobuz)

The second new feature, Award pages, is really interesting too. Qobuz has put together a list of various awards and their winners, and the awards featured include some very prestigious ones as well as Qobuz's own favorites.

For example, you can browse Gramophone Award winners to discover some truly exceptional classical recordings, or you can focus on the winners of Pitchfork's best new music awards: Beyoncé, Kendrick, Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, Bad Bunny, Vampire Weekend, Father John Misty.... there are 22 pages for this award alone.

I love this: it's a big bunch of musical rabbit holes to lose yourself in, and I think it's a really good fit for Qobuz's target audience. It's long marked itself as the streaming service for serious music fans and audiophiles, and browsing these collections is almost as much fun as going crate-digging for new LPs – oh, and while I'm on this, don't forget that Record Store Day is coming, on April 12.

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• OpenAI limits free tier of ChatGPT to 3 images a day
• Sam Altman says "Our GPUs are melting"
• Limitation should be on a temporary basis

Amid the growing controversy over its AI mimicking the artistic style of Studio Ghibli, OpenAI is being forced to limit how many images ChatGPT can produce on the free tier to 3 a day because it's proving too popular.

In a recent tweet on X, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said “It's super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. Hopefully won't be long! ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.”

it's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt.but our GPUs are melting.we are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. hopefully won't be long!chatgpt free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.March 27, 2025

ChatGPT’s new image generation capabilities are clearly a step up in the development of AI image generation, proving superior in our tests to DALL-E 3, which is the model previously used by ChatGPT, and also what it will still default to once you’ve run out of generations in the new model.

In his X-thread Sam Altman also goes on to say that “(also, we are refusing some generations that should be allowed; we are fixing these as fast we can.)”

This could explain the frustrations I’ve been experiencing getting ChatGPT to produce text in images.

An image generated using ChatGPT's new image-generation abilities. (Image credit: OpenAI) ChatGPT rollout delays

It’s quite possible that you don’t have access to ChatGPT’s image creation tools quite yet anyway. While ChatGPT Plus and Pro users all seem to have access, not all free-tier users do.

On March 26 Altman tweeted that rollout to the free tier was going to be delayed: “Images in ChatGPT are way more popular than we expected (and we had pretty high expectations). Rollout to our free tier is, unfortunately, going to be delayed for a while.”

As we've said in our testing, even on the Plus tier, ChatGPT is already very slow when it comes to generating images, and when the rollout to the free tier is complete we would expect it to be even slower. The move to limit the free tier to 3 images on a temporary basis, while understandable, will inevitably lead to people feeling frustrated with the company.

Have you been able to sample ChatGPT's new image creation abilities yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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• OpenAI limits free tier of ChatGPT to 3 images a day
• Sam Altman says "Our GPUs are melting"
• Limitation should be on a temporary basis

Amid the growing controversy over its AI mimicking the artistic style of Studio Ghibli, OpenAI is being forced to limit how many images ChatGPT can produce on the free tier to 3 a day because it's proving too popular.

In a recent tweet on X, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said “It's super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting. We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. Hopefully won't be long! ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.”

it's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt.but our GPUs are melting.we are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. hopefully won't be long!chatgpt free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.March 27, 2025

ChatGPT’s new image generation capabilities are clearly a step up in the development of AI image generation, proving superior in our tests to DALL-E 3, which is the model previously used by ChatGPT, and also what it will still default to once you’ve run out of generations in the new model.

In his X-thread Sam Altman also goes on to say that “(also, we are refusing some generations that should be allowed; we are fixing these as fast we can.)”

This could explain the frustrations I’ve been experiencing getting ChatGPT to produce text in images.

An image generated using ChatGPT's new image-generation abilities. (Image credit: OpenAI) ChatGPT rollout delays

It’s quite possible that you don’t have access to ChatGPT’s image creation tools quite yet anyway. While ChatGPT Plus and Pro users all seem to have access, not all free-tier users do.

On March 26 Altman tweeted that rollout to the free tier was going to be delayed: “Images in ChatGPT are way more popular than we expected (and we had pretty high expectations). Rollout to our free tier is, unfortunately, going to be delayed for a while.”

As we've said in our testing, even on the Plus tier, ChatGPT is already very slow when it comes to generating images, and when the rollout to the free tier is complete we would expect it to be even slower. The move to limit the free tier to 3 images on a temporary basis, while understandable, will inevitably lead to people feeling frustrated with the company.

Have you been able to sample ChatGPT's new image creation abilities yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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• ChatGPT 4o image generation is so good we will never be able to trust iPhone renders again
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• Google Workspace solves a major slide-building woe
• Google Slides now lets users select and resize objects together
• Will also make it easier to select specific items on slides with many overlapping objects

Making sure your presentation slides are as striking as they should be is set to get a lot easier, thanks to a tiny but crucial update from Google Workspace.

The office software suite has upgraded its Slides platform with a tweak that will allow users to resize multiple objects all at once, at the same scale - while also (hopefully) keeping everything clear and visible.

The change should mean an end to the frustration of trying to tweak your slides just how you like them, but finding out that resizing just a single item throws everything off, and you then need to do everything manually.

Google Slides resizing

"This update helps you spend less time getting objects to fit on a slide with proportional scaling," a typically brief and blunt Google Workspace Updates blog post announcing the change noted.

Users will simply need to drag a selection box over the items they want resized, with the ability to select multiple objects or images at once.

"Resizing your selection will now scale everything proportionally and maintain visual clarity," the company says, with fonts, borders, shadows and all other attributes all scaling seamlessly.

Google Workspace is also making it easier to select specific items on slides which may contain many overlapping objects.

Users will now see an outline appear when hovering over an object, making it easier to select objects that are layered.

The new features will only work in edit mode, not while being presented, and object selection can be scaled up and down by the user.

The updates are rolling out now, and are available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

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• Google Workspace solves a major slide-building woe
• Google Slides now lets users select and resize objects together
• Will also make it easier to select specific items on slides with many overlapping objects

Making sure your presentation slides are as striking as they should be is set to get a lot easier, thanks to a tiny but crucial update from Google Workspace.

The office software suite has upgraded its Slides platform with a tweak that will allow users to resize multiple objects all at once, at the same scale - while also (hopefully) keeping everything clear and visible.

The change should mean an end to the frustration of trying to tweak your slides just how you like them, but finding out that resizing just a single item throws everything off, and you then need to do everything manually.

Google Slides resizing

"This update helps you spend less time getting objects to fit on a slide with proportional scaling," a typically brief and blunt Google Workspace Updates blog post announcing the change noted.

Users will simply need to drag a selection box over the items they want resized, with the ability to select multiple objects or images at once.

"Resizing your selection will now scale everything proportionally and maintain visual clarity," the company says, with fonts, borders, shadows and all other attributes all scaling seamlessly.

Google Workspace is also making it easier to select specific items on slides which may contain many overlapping objects.

Users will now see an outline appear when hovering over an object, making it easier to select objects that are layered.

The new features will only work in edit mode, not while being presented, and object selection can be scaled up and down by the user.

The updates are rolling out now, and are available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

You might also like

• Microsoft Teams is finally adding a tiny but crucial feature I honestly can't believe it never had
• We've rounded up the best productivity tools around right now
• At last — one of the most annoying Google Docs, Sheets and Slides sections is getting a lot simpler to use

• Garmin recently announced a new premium subscription
• Angry customers have wasted no time expressing their displeasure
• Thousands have taken to Reddit in support of boycotting the service

Just hours after Garmin announced a brand new Premium subscription service, angry customers in the thousands have taken to Reddit to express their displeasure over the move.

As we reported earlier this week, Garmin Connect+ is a new subscription tier for Garmin users. Priced at $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, it gives users AI insights into their training, a performance dashboard, a Live Activity feature, expanded LiveTrack, and more.

Garmin stressed to us that "The Garmin Connect app is a free, personalized experience, and that’s not going away," evidently keen to get ahead of user backlash. Sadly, it doesn't seem to have worked.

A post on the Garmin subreddit with over 6,000 upvotes and a plethora of angry comments has taken over the forum, as customers respond to the news.

"To everyone who cares about the future of Garmin customer service: DO NOT SIGN UP," the original poster wrote. "We need to take a firm stand to stop this totally detrimental trend of subscriptions everywhere. We are already paying hundreds for watches that only last a few years because batteries are not replaceable."

The furious post calls on users to "Unite to fight for our customers' right to software as a service for a thousand dollar watch," and to stand up against the change that will "reduce the usability and ownership of our products in the future."

Garmin users unanimous in subscription fury DO NOT sign up for Garmin Connect+. Unite to fight for our customers' right to software as a service for a thousand dollar watch. This is a slippery slope and will reduce the usability and ownership of our products in the future. Profits will increase and more and more will get behind paywalls! from r/Garmin

"Never paying for the subscription," one commenter said, "but it is going to make me rethink my future watch purchases," they continued. "I could justify the Garmin expense when I knew I was getting all the features with the watch, but we all know what happens to a service once a paid tier is introduced."

"Looks like Coros is back on the menu, boys," one disgruntled user said. "Of course I am not paying for that s***," another calmy added.

Other users have encouraged submitting feedback to Garmin via its ideas page. Unanimous is a strong word, but I'm yet to see a single positive comment or reaction to the move.

It's not just the reaction to a general subscription that users seem upset about, but the value of the specific features on offer. "I signed up for the free trial and I don't see any value in it. I was kinda hoping I could get rid of Stava premium but nope," one said.

Garmin must have anticipated some user backlash, announcing a subscription to a previously free software platform is always risky business, but I'm not sure it could have fathomed such a fervent outcry.

The problem, in one sense, is context. Garmin users have endured a mass outage this year that saw devices unusable for 24 hours or more. More recently, Garmin users have raised concerns that expensive and powerful devices are being left behind by a fragmented approach to rolling out software and new features.

We've reached out to the company for comment on the furore around the announcement and will update this story accordingly. Also, stay tuned to TechRadar for an open forum where users can share their thoughts. A total walkback seems unlikely, but Garmin might be pressed to do something given the current situation.

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• Garmin recently announced a new premium subscription
• Angry customers have wasted no time expressing their displeasure
• Thousands have taken to Reddit in support of boycotting the service

Just hours after Garmin announced a brand new Premium subscription service, angry customers in the thousands have taken to Reddit to express their displeasure over the move.

As we reported earlier this week, Garmin Connect+ is a new subscription tier for Garmin users. Priced at $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, it gives users AI insights into their training, a performance dashboard, a Live Activity feature, expanded LiveTrack, and more.

Garmin stressed to us that "The Garmin Connect app is a free, personalized experience, and that’s not going away," evidently keen to get ahead of user backlash. Sadly, it doesn't seem to have worked.

A post on the Garmin subreddit with over 6,000 upvotes and a plethora of angry comments has taken over the forum, as customers respond to the news.

"To everyone who cares about the future of Garmin customer service: DO NOT SIGN UP," the original poster wrote. "We need to take a firm stand to stop this totally detrimental trend of subscriptions everywhere. We are already paying hundreds for watches that only last a few years because batteries are not replaceable."

The furious post calls on users to "Unite to fight for our customers' right to software as a service for a thousand dollar watch," and to stand up against the change that will "reduce the usability and ownership of our products in the future."

Garmin users unanimous in subscription fury DO NOT sign up for Garmin Connect+. Unite to fight for our customers' right to software as a service for a thousand dollar watch. This is a slippery slope and will reduce the usability and ownership of our products in the future. Profits will increase and more and more will get behind paywalls! from r/Garmin

"Never paying for the subscription," one commenter said, "but it is going to make me rethink my future watch purchases," they continued. "I could justify the Garmin expense when I knew I was getting all the features with the watch, but we all know what happens to a service once a paid tier is introduced."

"Looks like Coros is back on the menu, boys," one disgruntled user said. "Of course I am not paying for that s***," another calmy added.

Other users have encouraged submitting feedback to Garmin via its ideas page. Unanimous is a strong word, but I'm yet to see a single positive comment or reaction to the move.

It's not just the reaction to a general subscription that users seem upset about, but the value of the specific features on offer. "I signed up for the free trial and I don't see any value in it. I was kinda hoping I could get rid of Stava premium but nope," one said.

Garmin must have anticipated some user backlash, announcing a subscription to a previously free software platform is always risky business, but I'm not sure it could have fathomed such a fervent outcry.

The problem, in one sense, is context. Garmin users have endured a mass outage this year that saw devices unusable for 24 hours or more. More recently, Garmin users have raised concerns that expensive and powerful devices are being left behind by a fragmented approach to rolling out software and new features.

We've reached out to the company for comment on the furore around the announcement and will update this story accordingly. Also, stay tuned to TechRadar for an open forum where users can share their thoughts. A total walkback seems unlikely, but Garmin might be pressed to do something given the current situation.

You may also like

• Garmin adds premium Garmin Connect+ tier with AI features – but promises your free experience ‘is not going away’
• I love my Garmin watch, but there's one health feature I've always wished it had
• I gave up my Garmin for an old-school digital Casio watch for a week: here's what happened to my running

• The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for PlayStation 5 has been revealed
• It's a rugged portable PS5 SSD, with water and drop protection
• It is available now in 1TB and 2TB capacities

Memory company Sandisk has just announced a new external SSD for PlayStation 5 and it might be one of the coolest officially licensed model yet.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for PlayStation 5 weighs just 0.15lbs / 69.40g and is super rugged, with an IP65 rating. This means that it's impervious to dust and can even withstand low pressure jets of water, so you don't need to worry about the effects of a light splash of rain if you decide to take it on the go.

Additionally, it's safe from drops of up to three meters meaning that you could theoretically chuck it out a ground floor window without any ill effects - though as a general rule of thumb you should try and avoid doing that with any storage medium to keep the risk of damage to a minimum. Obviously.

Still, I'm intrigued and will certainly be putting the drive through its paces towards the end of my testing process when I get my hands on one for review.

It boasts read speeds of up to 1,000MB/s, allowing for the quick transfer of games between the drive and console. Just bear in mind that, as an external storage device, you won't be able to play PS5 games directly from it.

The drive is available now in one colorway, a fitting PlayStation white and blue, and two different capacities. The 1TB model costs $129.99 / £101.99 while the 2TB version is $199.99 / £150.99.

It's definitely an attractive proposition and the official branding plus added durability could mean that it has a shot at becoming one of the best PS5 external hard drives on the market.

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• The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for PlayStation 5 has been revealed
• It's a rugged portable PS5 SSD, with water and drop protection
• It is available now in 1TB and 2TB capacities

Memory company Sandisk has just announced a new external SSD for PlayStation 5 and it might be one of the coolest officially licensed model yet.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for PlayStation 5 weighs just 0.15lbs / 69.40g and is super rugged, with an IP65 rating. This means that it's impervious to dust and can even withstand low pressure jets of water, so you don't need to worry about the effects of a light splash of rain if you decide to take it on the go.

Additionally, it's safe from drops of up to three meters meaning that you could theoretically chuck it out a ground floor window without any ill effects - though as a general rule of thumb you should try and avoid doing that with any storage medium to keep the risk of damage to a minimum. Obviously.

Still, I'm intrigued and will certainly be putting the drive through its paces towards the end of my testing process when I get my hands on one for review.

It boasts read speeds of up to 1,000MB/s, allowing for the quick transfer of games between the drive and console. Just bear in mind that, as an external storage device, you won't be able to play PS5 games directly from it.

The drive is available now in one colorway, a fitting PlayStation white and blue, and two different capacities. The 1TB model costs $129.99 / £101.99 while the 2TB version is $199.99 / £150.99.

It's definitely an attractive proposition and the official branding plus added durability could mean that it has a shot at becoming one of the best PS5 external hard drives on the market.

You might also like...

• Nintendo Direct - all Nintendo Switch games announced at the March 2025 show and our reactions as it happened
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• Experts claim solar inverter vulnerabilities could lead to damage to the power grid
• Devices could be taken over and switched off, increasing grid load
• 46 vulnerabilities discovered, with some potentially exposing user information

Solar inverters could be hijacked by cybercriminals to disrupt power supplies and damage the electrical grid.

46 vulnerabilities were found by Forescout [PDF] in solar inverters produced by Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA.

Many of the vulnerabilities could lead to remote code execution (RCE), denial of service, device takeover, as well as access to cloud platforms and sensitive information.

Power grid hijacking

For SMA devices, only a single vulnerability was found, CVE-2025-0731, that allows an attacker to use a demo account to upload a .aspx (Active Server Page Extended) file instead of a photovoltaic (PV) system picture, with the file then being executed by the sunnyportal.com web server.

As for Sungrow solar inverters, insecure direct object reference (IDOR) vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2024-50685, CVE-2024-50686, and CVE-2024-50693 could allow an attacker to harvest communication dongle serial numbers.

CVE-2024-50692 allows an attacker to use hard-coded MQTT credentials to send arbitrary commands to an arbitrary inverter dongle, or commit man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks against MQTT communications.

The attacker can also use one of several critical stack overflow vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-50694, CVE-2024-50695, CVE-2024-50698) to remotely execute code on server connected dongles. Using this flow of vulnerabilities, an attacker could potentially reduce power generation during peak times to increase the load on the grid.

Growatt inverters can be hijacked via the cloud backend by listing usernames from an exposed Growatt API, and then use these usernames for account-takeover through two IDOR vulnerabilities.

All of the disclosed vulnerabilities have since been patched by the manufacturers.

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• Experts claim solar inverter vulnerabilities could lead to damage to the power grid
• Devices could be taken over and switched off, increasing grid load
• 46 vulnerabilities discovered, with some potentially exposing user information

Solar inverters could be hijacked by cybercriminals to disrupt power supplies and damage the electrical grid.

46 vulnerabilities were found by Forescout [PDF] in solar inverters produced by Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA.

Many of the vulnerabilities could lead to remote code execution (RCE), denial of service, device takeover, as well as access to cloud platforms and sensitive information.

Power grid hijacking

For SMA devices, only a single vulnerability was found, CVE-2025-0731, that allows an attacker to use a demo account to upload a .aspx (Active Server Page Extended) file instead of a photovoltaic (PV) system picture, with the file then being executed by the sunnyportal.com web server.

As for Sungrow solar inverters, insecure direct object reference (IDOR) vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2024-50685, CVE-2024-50686, and CVE-2024-50693 could allow an attacker to harvest communication dongle serial numbers.

CVE-2024-50692 allows an attacker to use hard-coded MQTT credentials to send arbitrary commands to an arbitrary inverter dongle, or commit man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks against MQTT communications.

The attacker can also use one of several critical stack overflow vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-50694, CVE-2024-50695, CVE-2024-50698) to remotely execute code on server connected dongles. Using this flow of vulnerabilities, an attacker could potentially reduce power generation during peak times to increase the load on the grid.

Growatt inverters can be hijacked via the cloud backend by listing usernames from an exposed Growatt API, and then use these usernames for account-takeover through two IDOR vulnerabilities.

All of the disclosed vulnerabilities have since been patched by the manufacturers.

You might also like

• Take a look at the best endpoint protection
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• Malicious npm packages use devious backdoors to target users